Hi all,
I just ran into a weird shipping hassle with an order from an
Australian customer. I had the order all packed up and ready to go,
but was informed at the post office that Australia does not accept
shipments containing jewelry. I double-checked this on the USPS
website, where it was confirmed: no shipments of gold, platinum, or
silver (manufactured or not) or jewelry or precious stones are
allowed. I had run into a similar issue with a shipment to Canada,
but in their case, it was possible to ship the jewelry if an extra
fee was paid to register it (something like $10.50). Apparently,
however, there is no getting around the Australian prohibition, and
it looks like I may have to refund the customer’s payment and refuse
future orders from Oz.
Have any of you run into a similar hassle? Why does it exist? (I
can understand trade regulations applying to huge shipments of gold
or diamonds, but a $55 pendant? Come on! I’m hardly going to collapse
the economy!) What, if anything, can I do about this?
Many thanks for your thoughts - I’d be much obliged if you could CC
your answer to my e-mail, as I’m preparing to move to a new house
and I’m waaaaay behind on my digests.
Best to all,
Jessee Smith
www.silverspotstudio.com
Cincinnati, Ohio